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Subject:Re: These users have us stumped! From:PSalese -at- obius -dot- jnj -dot- com To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 23 Oct 2002 13:51:49 -0600
You received alot of great suggestions here, and I'd like to add my own. I
would ask or examine the following questions before I decided that my
documentation was lacking or needed a major re-write such as the one you
are considering.
During your requirements definition phase (don't we ALL have one of
those??!), who spoke for the user? Who assisted you, the TWs, in
determining that writing at a 6th grade level would cover the majority of
your users?
Where will the $$ for this come from? Can you go to the person with the
pockets and say, "We have to re-write our User Guide" without feeling like
you have egg on your face?
If I was in your shoes, I would do one of two things:
1) Get the money to add a training module onto your User Guide. This
module would cover only those people that are totally computer illiterate
and only cover the parts of Windows that apply to your app. Don't re-write
without some research and $$$!
2) Provide a third-party Windows for Dummies type of book/training thing
and be done with it.
Different users need different type of information. Novices need training
or Quick Reference type of information, Beginners need User Guides,
Intermediate/Advanced users need Reference material. Organize and write
accordingly, one type of documentation can't solve all problems for all
users!
Good Luck!
Tricia in NJ
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